The Home
by alwaysingirl
Summary: After waking up from a two-week long coma, the Lone Wanderer stumbles upon a lost and delusional young woman. After realizing that she has come from an unlisted vault, the Lone Wanderer begins a journey to find the hidden Vault known only as "The Home." - Author's Note: The image for this story is not mine, but kinda looks like how I picture my OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: _I do not take credit for any of the original Fallout 3 material. The characters and events that I add on to the story are the only things that I take credit for. Basically, anything that you recognize is not mine and anything that you don't recognize is._ _I'm not going to write this note every chapter! This is the only chapter that I will state this!_**

**Just a warning; major spoiler alert! This story takes place right after the Broken Steel expansion kicks in (end of the main part of the game), so, if you haven't beat the _main_ part of the game and don't want to know the ending, then you might want to skip this story over!**

**Please, leave reviews whenever you can! I'm trying to become a professional author and I want my writing to be as best as it can possibly be, so be critical, if there is anything to improve!**

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"Damn, not again," I muttered as I came upon the wreckage of yet another caravan. The raiders were getting bad, _really_ bad. Ever since Aqua Pura had been released all over the Wasteland, it had been like a war between the caravaners and the raiders, even more than it had ever been before. Even though I had been in a coma for the first two weeks of the distribution, I knew exactly why: raiders weren't exactly reasonable or easy to trade with. The result; more raids to obtain what they weren't given the option to have.

I knelt down next to the corpse of the older man and carefully closed his eyes. I did the same to his bodyguard, a young Mercenary.

_Damn those raiders_, I thought to myself. They were one of the only factions left in the D.C. area that threatened the safety of the public. I had, literally, just helped the Brotherhood drive back the Enclave-with the help of Liberty Prime-to the farther reaches of the Wasteland, so the only main threat left were minor gangs, raiders being one of them. I was really due for some leisure time, but the "hero of the Wasteland" had no time for leisure, if there was still trouble brewing somewhere.

I looked up at the slain Brahmin, surprised to see that not all of the loot had been taken from the packs strapped to its back. That meant one of two things; either the raiders had gotten what they wanted, or they were going to come back for more. Raiders were too predictable, however, so I knew that the latter choice was the most probable.

I didn't want to, but I was low on supplies and still had a good three days left before I made it back to Megaton. So, I reluctantly started sifting through the packs, grabbing what food, water, meds, and ammo I could find and carry. I stuffed it all into a small pack that I kept with me at all times; a pack that, at this point, couldn't hold much more. I also grabbed what ammo was left on the Mercenary, pocketing it in an easy-to-reach location, since the ammo was already loaded in the clips and ready to use.

That's when I heard gunfire. From the first two shots, I knew that the gunfire was close. It had to be the raider party coming back for seconds.

Then I heard a scream; a scream from someone young.

I instantly sprang up, running toward the hill from which the gunfire was coming. As I ran I pulled out my rifle, making sure that the clip was full and that I had a spare ready to go. When I got to the top, a gruesome scene greeted me from the other side.

Two raiders were standing in a small clearing, one of them holding a small 10mm, the other throwing down a young woman to the ground. They both laughed as the girl was tied up, screaming the entire time, and laid on her stomach. The one without a gun climbed on top of her and hit her over the head with a plank of wood to shut her up. He then laughed as he grabbed the girl by her long, raven hair, pulling her head back so that she was looking up at him.

"Oh, you're a sweet one, you are!" The raider said as he ran his free hand down her side. "Not very often that we find someone like you runnin' around out here," He said. The raider with the gun started laughing as the other stood up and started pulling at the girl's pants.

"Ha, leave some for me, will ya?" The raider with the gun laughed. As he did, he waved his gun around jokingly.

Perfect.

With one fluid motion, I lifted my rifle and aimed through the scope. I took a deep breath and...

_Bang!_

The raider with the gun went down, pieces of his head spraying out around him. The other raider jumped up from on top of the girl, and turned around to face me. I laughed, surprised as the predictability of raiders. My gun was already aimed at his head before his feet were fully on the ground. His head went flying about ten feet when I shot him down, his blood spraying all over the terrified girl below him.

Then it was quiet, the only sound the sound of the wind, howling as it blew over the crest of the hill. I waited a few moments, lowering my gun and watching the clearing around me to make sure that no other raiders were hiding anywhere. After I was sure it was safe, I ran down the other side of the hill toward the still-tied-up girl at the bottom.

When I got into her field of vision, the girl looked at me with eyes that were clearly not accustomed to the harsh light of the Wasteland. I knew almost right away that this girl wasn't from around here.

"Hello," I said as I knelt next to her, throwing one of my spare shirts over her exposed backside, "my name is Mason. I'm here to help you."

The girl just looked up at me, her crystal-blue eyes wide, blood-shot, and sunken into her skull.

When she didn't answer, I reached into my pack and grabbed my small knife. The girl's eyes opened even farther, but she didn't make a single noise. I then cut the rope tied around her wrists. Almost instantly, the girl reached under my shirt and pulled up her pants.

"Did that man...hurt you?" The thought killed me. I had been looking through my scope, so anything could have happened that I hadn't seen. The thought hurt me even more because, like the raider had said to her before, she was a rare sight these days, in that she was beautiful, unscarred from the chaos of the Wasteland. Well, except for her badly sunburnt skin.

The girl shook her head and I sighed, relieved. "Good." I helped her get to her feet. "You lost?"

She said nothing. _Okay_...

"I can help you get home, if you tell me what town you're from. I've traveled all over this Wasteland and some surrounding areas, so I know this area very well."

She still said nothing, her eyes wide as she stared up at me (she was a good six inches shorter than me). I held in my frustration. The girl was probably in shock. She had almost gotten raped, and was more than likely lost. Patience was all that I needed.

Part of me wanted to leave her. I had little supplies, a long distance to travel, and I needed to get back asap. Dogmeat was waiting for me back in Megaton, and no doubt was very hungry.

But I knew I couldn't. Something about his girl made me want to help her. She was...captivating, so to speak. That, and I couldn't leave her. She would be dead in hours. I could tell that by the way her clothes hung limply from her small frame.

It was quiet for a moment as I thought to myself. Taking her could prove to be a fatal decision, since having to pack around a helpless girl would slow me down and bring attention to me when I was sneaking up on someone. But leaving her meant her death.

Now _that_ thought, I _couldn't_ bare.

"Well, since you won't tell me where you're from I'll just have to take you with me. Are you okay with that?" The girl instantly grabbed my hand, the one on her shoulder, and squeezed it tight, as though that small amount of contact could save her from anything. The contact made me shiver.

"Alright, but I have a few conditions. Can you nod to tell me that you understand?"

She nodded. _Yes, a reaction_.

"Okay. You must do whatever I say, for your own safety, alright? That means that if I say duck, you duck. If I say jump, you jump. If I say to run the hell away, you run your ass as far as you can, alright?" She nodded again. "Alright. Let's find a safe spot to make camp, so that I can get some food in you."

The girl followed right behind me, never letting go of my hand as she did.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I tend to have really long wait periods between updates, but I'll try my best to get a good few chapters into the story before letting too much time pass by! Please review :D**


	2. Chapter 2

_Can she even talk?_

After two hours of intense interrogation (disguised as casual conversation), I had learned absolutely nothing about the girl. She wouldn't tell me her name, where she was from, how old she was, nothing. She hadn't spoken at all. All she did was stuff whatever food and water I had given to her down her throat. Whoever she was, she was about the strangest person I had ever met, and there were some really strange people out in the Wasteland.

I gave up my questioning after two and a half hours. All the girl did was sit and stare at me, munching on a Punga fruit that I had given her.

After another hour, I stood up and looked down at her. "I'm going off to hunt for something for me to eat. You've eaten almost all of my food, and I'm in the mood for dog, so..." I reached into my pack and held out a small knife. "Use this to protect yourself if anything tries to attack you, okay? And _stay here_."

The girl nodded and took the knife, examining the blade and the splotches of blood that still covered it from its last use.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few, alright?"

She didn't make a single noise as I turned around and climbed the small hill that protected us from the sight of others. Once I was on the other side, I crouched down and pulled out my rifle. I then slowly started walking, ducking behind rocks whenever I heard a strange noise. I was being more cautious than usual, since I didn't want to attract someone's attention and have them stumble across the girl when I wasn't near her.

Then, I heard talking and panting. I instantly hid behind a small destroyed building, ducking out of the way just as three raiders and a dog passed by.

I smiled. Dog, actually, _did_ sound very good at this point.

I got down on my stomach, carefully setting the butt of my rifle on my shoulder. I then took some smooth, deep breaths as I waited.

Naturally, I needed to take the dog out first. Dogs were faster and smarter than humans when it came to hunting down pray. My throat would be torn out before I would even have the chance to stand up and defend myself. But raiders, they were more predictable. Not many of them were good aims when it came to close distances, so they usually pulled out something dinky like a piece of plywood, or a tire iron. Now I, on the other hand, _I_ was good with a gun, no matter the distance between me and the enemy.

The dog turned its head, leaving a perfect shot that wouldn't harm too much of what little meat it had on its bones.

My body shook from the recoil of the gun.

The dog went down, and the chaos began. At first, the three raiders were confused, yelling out "Who's there?" as they pulled out their various close-range weapons. I shot down another before they realized where the shots were coming from.

I holstered my rifle as they came at me, and pulled out my 10mm. I quickly loaded the gun with a fresh clip and started shooting.

One raider was hit in the leg, and she went down on one knee. I shot down the last one in the chest, right through his heart. I then turned to the girl and pressed the gun to her temple.

"Hasta la vista."

_Bang!_

I spent the next few moments looting the corpses, taking what useful supplies they had. One had a good handful of caps on him, which I pocketed eagerly. I had been running low for much too long.

I then threw the dog corpse over my shoulder and made my way back to where I had left the girl, making sure to stay hidden as I had been before.

The girl was exactly how I left her, staring at the knife I had given her.

"Hey," I said as I threw down the dog on the ground, next to our dwindling fire. "Once I eat, we'll move farther north, alright?" She nodded, giving me back the knife so I could skin the animal.

I went as fast as I could. I knew that where one gang of raiders were, another was nearby somewhere, so I wasn't planning on taking on anymore now that I was back with the girl.

I cooked what meat I managed to pick off of the bones of the dog. I then ate it eagerly, resisting the urge to go out and hunt for some more once I was done.

When I finished, I cleaned my knife as good as I could, and then told the girl to follow me. She did without question.

We moved about a hundred yards, making sure to stick to the hills and stay off of the roads. I was in no position to run into dangerous hostiles with the girl following me. But things like Radroaches, Mole Rats, and Wild Dogs were things that I could handle without too much concern. I then found an abandoned trailer, with two beds in it. It was small, and most likely would attract raiders and such at some point, but I needed to sleep, as did the girl. Her sunburnt skin was starting to glow an unhealthy color, clearly telling me that she needed rest and medical attention asap.

"Why don't you go ahead and sit down for a minute. I want to examine you, to make sure that you'll be okay and won't die on me in the middle of the night. Is that okay?"

The girl nodded and then sat down on the closer of the two beds. I then knelt down in front of her and started my examination.

What little medical training I had received told me what I had already guessed; she was extremely dehydrated and malnourished. She also hadn't had a decent night of sleep for a good week or so. From what I guessed, she had been lost for a good week, maybe two. Surprisingly, I learned that she couldn't be much older than eighteen, maybe even sixteen.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that this moment was so familiar to one that had happened to me just four years ago. Except, _I_ had been the sixteen-year-old being examined by someone; someone very important to me.

I shook my head, clearing my throat. "Alright, all done." The girl nodded. She then turned her head and looked out of the small, blown out window that was level with her head. I watched her, wondering if she was even mentally stable.

The girl then laughed, the first noise I had heard come from her since I had heard her scream.

"He really went all out on this prank, didn't he?"

Her voice was raspy from dehydration.

I closed my mouth, realizing that it had fallen open. "So, you _can_ talk..."

"Of course I can," She said, her voice cracking. I took that as a sign and reached in my pack, pulling out a fresh Aqua Pura and handing it to her. She took a generous gulp from it.

"Okay then. What do you mean by a 'prank'?"

She laughed. "Well, I mean that David sure did go out of his way to trick me, didn't he?"

I blinked. "David?"

"Yes, one of my best friends."

"What trick do you think he's pulling on you?"

She huffed. "_This_!" She waved her hand around herself and rolled her eyes, as if the answer to the question was nothing but obvious.

Something was wrong about this, that I knew for sure.

"Are you talking about the Wasteland?"

"Pft! _Wasteland_! Leave it to David to come up with a lame name like _that_!"

I started. "Are...you okay?"

"I'm as okay as I can possibly be! I mean, come on! This prank has gone far enough! Leaving me out to die and not even bothering to leave me some food or clean water anywhere, and then hiring someone to pretend to rape me, and _then_ hiring someone to 'save me'!" I could literally hear the air quotes hanging off of the last two words. "I mean, seriously, how far is too far?"

Sadly, a small laugh creeped out of my lips. "Sorry to break it to you, sweets, but this isn't a prank. This is for real. This is the aftermath of the nuclear war of 2077. The bombs left behind this shit-hole of a planet. This. Is. Real."

The girl shook her head. "No, it's not. This isn't what is supposed to be outside of The Home. There are supposed to be trees and-"

"Wait," I interrupted, "what's 'The Home'?"

It was her turn to look confused. "Why, _my_ home. The place I was born and raised in. Us citizens call it 'The Home'. Didn't you know this?"

I shook my head. "Never heard of it. Well, this explains a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I knew something was off about you, and I had the strangest feeling that you were a Vault-Dweller as I was at one point."

"Wait, a Vault?" She laughed. "No, vaults are what money is kept safe in in banks and, last time I checked, I wasn't a hundred-dollar bill, and neither were my friends."

Sadly, even though she sounded more than crazy right now, I knew that she believed everything that she was saying. She truly believed that this was a prank, that the nuclear war never happened. She believed that all of this was set up by her friend. Which proved to me that she _was_ slightly hysterical, since no one had the capability to pull something like the Wasteland off as a prank. Not even before the war had happened, when technological advance was at its highest.

Well, at least _most_ people in the world didn't have the capability, since very few GECK programs were actually up and running at the time of the war.

Knowing the extent to which she believed what she was saying, made me very cautious. I carefully chose my words, not wanting her to have a mental break down or anything. "Let me rephrase then. Vaults are just fallout shelters, built just before the bombs hit. Certain people were allowed to move in them to keep the human race alive. Sounds to me like you're from one of those Vaults, one that was never discovered by the people on the surface. And, from the sound of it, never told the inhabitants' decedents about the nuclear destruction."

She just shook her head, her eyes widening.

"Listen, let's get some sleep. You're tired and dehydrated. In two days we will reach a small settlement called Megaton, and once we get there we can talk about this some more, okay?"

"NO!" She screamed, jumping up from her bed. "THIS ISN'T REAL! STOP THIS! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" She started flailing her arms around everywhere, hitting herself and me at the same time. I reached over and tried to grab her arms to stop her from hurting herself.

I didn't see her reach into my pack.

Suddenly, my trusty 10mm pistol was staring me in the face, the very pistol that Amata had given to me after she had shot down Officer Mack.

"Whoa," I whispered as I lifted my arms up into the air. "Let's not do anything hasty, here."

"Tell me that this is a joke, or your brains will be scattered all over that wall," She said through her teeth.

I was quiet for a good few moments, contemplating on what to say.

I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "This is real. I'm not going to lie to you to save my own ass, and leave you to just go insane. I'd rather die knowing that I told you the truth and leaving you with something to help yourself survive, then help you live a lie that will just lead to your destruction."

The girl started shaking, looking around her as if she was expecting someone to walk up on us at any moment.

"Just give me the gun, before someone gets hurt, alright?"

The girl whimpered and then held it out to me. I snatched it, making sure to make a personal note to myself to hide my guns more throughly with her around. I looked up just as her eyes rolled back into her head.

I caught her just before she hit the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took a few days. Got sick this week and didn't have much time to work on the story because of classes. Also, just wanted to tell you guys, this story is a work-in-progress, meaning that I haven't quite figured out all the odds and ends to this story. It might take me awhile to upload new chapters because I might need to think about what's going to happen beforehand.**

**Sorry if this upsets anyone...**

**Also, beginning with this chapter, I'm going to add a characteristic of mine to this story: switching perspectives. From now on, whenever the story is read in the first person, that particular section of the story is being told by the Lone Wanderer. Any other characters' perspectives will be told in the third person. I'll make sure to distinguish the switch with a giant line, like the one below. **

**Hope you enjoy :)**

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I spent all night watching her, afraid that she would wake up and run off, or worse, steal my weapons and use them to kill me. I also stayed up to make sure that she didn't die in the middle of the night. I just stared at her, waiting for her to stir or to say something.

She never woke up. Given, her heart was beating and she was breathing, but she never opened her eyes. She just laid lifeless on the small mattress, breathing and beating...

I kept waiting, knowing somewhere inside that she would wake any moment. And, once she did (as long as she was sane enough) I could question her more, get to know her.

I watched her become steadily healthier as she slept. Her skin was no longer that bright, burnt red, but a healthier (yet still burnt) light pink. Her face filled out slightly, looking less sleep deprived and malnourished as the night went on. I didn't let this fool me, however. She still needed medical attention, and not just from some traveler who happened to have some slight training on the subject.

The horizon started getting brighter, and I realized that time was running out. If sunrise came and she still hadn't woken up, I had two options; one, leave her here and go back to Megaton, sending help for her as soon as I got there or; two, find a way to take her with me.

Of course I knew that, to me, only one of those two options was possible for me.

When the sun rose, I strapped on my pack, holstering my 10mm on my hip and sliding on a near-broken pair of spiked knuckles. I then grabbed the still-unconscious girl and threw her over my shoulder so that her head was hanging upside down behind me, surprised and yet not at how light she was.

I was only a short distance away from Grayditch, which meant that I was getting closer to Megaton. If I trekked hard, even with the girl over my shoulder, I could make it before nightfall...as long as I didn't run into any raiders or other nuisances on the way.

I stuck to the road, my free hand on my hip, ready to shoot down any unlucky bastards that came along the way. I also kept my pace brisk, leaning slightly forward so that the girl's weight was pushing me forward faster. I took short, effective breaths, running like a marathon champion.

When I reached Grayditch, I took the opportunity to stop and stretch the muscles in my back and legs that had been extremely strained. I didn't stop for long, however, since the sun had reached its peak height.

I started running again, passing the Super-Duper Mart within the next half-hour. I didn't even bother stopping, since the place had been taken over by a couple of travelers and they would have most likely taken whatever I hadn't when I had looted the place for Moira.

I ran across a harmless Bloatfly and a couple of Mole Rats when I neared Megaton, but none of them posed much of a threat against my 10mm. I left the meat behind, leaving it for the next traveler to find on their way passed.

By the time the sun was setting, almost every single muscle in my body was screaming at me. My legs were cramped, my left arm locked because of how long I had been holding onto the girl's limp body. I felt like I would be a permanent hunch-back by the time I got to Megaton as well.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I saw the familiar metal walls of the small settlement town. I forced my legs to take longer strides, pushing myself faster. My haggard breathing quickened and shook as I pushed myself to my limits.

I slowed once I saw the sentry robot outside the main gate.

_I made it._ That was the only thought running through my head as I approached the gate. A giant roar broke through the Wasteland silence as the gates groaned and slid up, opening the way so that I could get into the town.

At the sound of the roar, the girl stirred.

I didn't halt. At this point, my mission was to get her to the local doctor before she fully awakened and tried to hurt someone.

I stumbled through the gate and looked upon a very familiar sight; one I had missed for almost three months.

The town was completely built around a large crater which, at the bottom, was home to a (now) dead nuclear bomb. Because the town was almost entirely built on the sides of the crater, some of the houses and buildings of the small town leaned toward the center of the crater slightly. Strong wooden beams held the buildings in place as best as they could.

I ignored the various settlers that had begun to know me as the Lone Wanderer, a name given to me by the ever-popular Three Dog over his radio broadcasts. Three Dog had recently become one of my biggest fans, so news of my actions around the D.C. Wastelands were often broadcasted over Galaxy News Radio, which had many followers of its own across the Wasteland. Why Three Dog continued to snoop around and find out what I had recently done was beyond my knowledge and, honestly, I didn't want to know how he found out what he did.

I walked straight down the path in front of me, a path that led straight down to the center of the crater. Once I reached the bottom, I opened the door of the only building on my right.

Doc Church was waiting at his desk, his usual spot.

"What the hell do you-oh!" He said, his tone annoyed and angry until he had looked up to see that I wasn't alone. "Who is this I see?"

At the sound of Doc's voice, the girl perked up her head and stared at the dark-skinned man. Her eyes went wide and I felt her arms wrap around my waist as she kicked her legs around in the air.

"Hey, calm down!" I yelled, leaning forward and pushing her weight over my shoulder so that her feet touched the ground. "He's a doctor!"

The girl was clumsy on her feet, and she wobbled around slightly as I helped her gain some balance.

"What's her name?" Doc asked. I merely shrugged.

"Hasn't told me."

At that, the girl looked up at me, grabbing my shoulder to steady herself. Her browns furrowed together as she studied my face.

"Hope."

She collapsed.

Doc managed to grab her before she hit the ground. He then gently picked her up and carried her toward the back room. "Managed to find a stray out there, did you?" He asked. "Pft! Mongrels, they are! Taking up beds that should be used for people I actually care about!"

I rolled my eyes, used to the behavior. "You'll be good to her, right Doc?"

"Of course I will! Long as you give me a good sum of caps for the ordeal, that is..."

I growled as I reached into my pack and pulled out a small pouch. "Is 300 good enough for you?"

Doc, after laying Hope down on a nearby stretcher, walked over and picked up the pouch. He then examined it, measuring its weight and bulk as best as he could with his eyes.

"I guess," He muttered, pocketing the pouch. "Now get out of here! I'll send her your way when she's in tip-top shape, alright?"

I nodded and left.

My house in Megaton was actually not far from Doc Church's place, so I reached it within the minute after closing the door behind me.

"Sir!" A deep, robotic voice said, almost as soon as I had opened the door. "I'm so glad to see that you're safe! I was beginning to worry! Three months and absolutely no contact? I'm sorry sir, but that is just poor ownership!" I blinked, and then he was there: my Mister Handy robot butler, which had come with the house when I had obtained ownership of it. His three arms coiled out and up from his round, floating body. Three sensors at the top of his "body" were pointed at me, the middle of them extended out to get a closer look.

"I'm sorry, Wadsworth. I would've contacted you if I'd had the chance, you know that."

"Well, frankly sir-" His oddly human-like voice was cut off by a stampede. Next thing I knew, a giant black and white dog jumped up at me so that its paws were on my shoulders.

"Hey, boy!" I said, being careful to move my face away from the dog as it licked my face. "How've you been?"

"Well, he's a mongrel, that I can tell you!" Wadsworth said as he turned away from me and started cleaning the room. "All he does is sit and whine, and eat when he gets hungry! Ate all of your meat within a week!" Wadsworth huffed as he went quiet.

"Thanks, Wadsworth, for taking care of Dogmeat while I was gone. If you don't mind, I'm going to head up to my room and get some much needed sleep."

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She groaned as she opened her eyes. She was laying on an uncomfortable bed, staring up at a ceiling that looked like it had been built with halfway deteriorated metal.

She turned her head, realizing that someone was sitting beside her.

The man's face was dirtier than her "hero's," so covered that his skin looked the color of dark chocolate.

"You're awake," He said, leaning onto one arm as he looked at her. "How do you feel?"

She said nothing. She was too confused. Where was she? What was she doing here? Where was the hero, Mason? Why wasn't he here?

The man smiled and shook his head. She sat up as she realized that the man was staring at her with a strange sense of awe. Why was he staring at her like that?

"Bet you're wondering where you are, right?" She nodded. "Well, Hope, why don't you lay back down and I can explain."

She did as the dirty man said, even though she didn't let her eyes leave the man.

"Now, first of all, how old are you?"

She went to speak, but her throat burned from a lack of hydration. She coughed instead.

The man laughed, and handed her a strange bottle of clear water, which said "Aqua Pura" on the side of it. "Drink. I've managed to rehydrate you with some fluids I injected, but your throat wouldn't have seen the effects."

She took the water and drank the water eagerly. It felt great, soothing her long-dry throat.

By the time she had had her fill, the bottle had been drained.

Almost the moment the cap was back on the bottle, she smiled. "Seventeen."

The man smiled back, taking the empty container from her.

"Where is that man? The one who saved me?"

"First, let me explain. When he brought you to me, you were extremely dehydrated and malnourished, close to death. I was actually surprised that you were able to say your name when you were first dropped off. You've been under intensive watch since you were brought in three days ago."

"Three days?"

"Yes. You've been asleep the entire time."

"But, where is Mason?"

"Right now? Pft! Not sure. Probably at his house. He was here about an hour ago; stopped by to make sure that I hadn't thrown you out the door or anything."

"But, why would you throw me out?"

The man laughed. "I don't exactly like taking in strangers who are in such a need for treatment. I usually leave what supplies I have for the people I care about."

She frowned. "Then, why did you take care of me?"

"Not afraid to ask questions, are you?" He laughed, a sound that was throaty and deep. "Well, I couldn't bring myself to leave you to your death, not after cleaning you up and all..."

Her brows furrowed together. What was he talking about?

"Well, can I leave, then?"

The man sighed. "Of course. You're in much better shape than you were just a few days ago. You'll also be happy to see that your sunburn is completely gone, and that your skin is healthy and wasn't damaged because of the exposure."

She looked down at her arm. Sure enough, her pale-alabaster skin was no longer red and inflamed, although why this man was concerned about the condition of her skin was beyond her comprehension. Everyone she knew had skin like hers, so why would that matter?

She heard the man chuckle. "You're skin has obviously never seen sunlight before and, with it being so light, that severe of a sunburn could have permanently damaged your skin."

"Oh," She said, more confused than ever. What did he mean by "light?" Wasn't everyone's skin this color? Everyone she had seen out here had just looked really dirty, like this man here. Wasn't _his_ skin the same as hers underneath the dirt?

"Listen, your friend will be wanting to see you," The man said as he stood up and held out his hand. "Let me lead you to his house, okay?"

She nodded, taking his hand with care, prepared to claw out his eyes if he tried to hurt her.

He led her out of the small room they were in, and then opened a door. Light poured through, blinding her so that she had to hold up her arm to protect her eyes.

"My name is Doc, by the way. Doc Church. Welcome to Megaton."

* * *

**I'm leaving for a writer's conference, so I might not update for awhile. Hope you guys enjoyed :) If you want to read some more of my work, please look into my story called The Fourth Goddess. It's a Zelda fanfic that I've worked on since I was nine. Please review :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took so long. But don't say I didn't warn you when I posted this story :)**

* * *

Hope was really going to kill David when she saw him next.

"Listen, Mason is probably up at his house, " Doc Church said, pointing to a house above her and slightly to her left. The house had been built on the side of a crater, so many wooden pillars stood underneath it to hold it straight. "Just follow that path next to it and it leads right to his front door." He then grabbed her shoulder and turned her so she was looking up at him. "Listen, that boy paid 300 caps for me to take care of you, so you shouldn't go up there and be rude, alright?"

"What are 'caps'?" She asked, confused. The man had referred to 'caps' as if it was a form of money. Didn't they have bills?

"'Caps' are Nuka-cola caps. So many people collected them before the bombs fell that more of them survived than actual money, so we use them instead. Three-hundred caps is a lot to come by in the Wasteland, so if that boy was willing to pay that much, you must mean something to him."

"But, why use something like caps? What happened to money? Dollar bills and whatnot?"

Doc laughed. "Destroyed, most likely. Scavengers will find a small pile of them every once in a while, but they aren't worth anything anymore. Just isn't enough of them to make a difference."

She nodded, not really understanding, but not wanting to ask anymore questions. Her head was really starting to hurt.

"Well, thank you, very much, for taking care of me." She turned and started to walk up the hill, but stopped. "And since you took care of me, I'd thought you should know that you should really clean yourself better. Taking care of sick people while your skin is so dirty could just make them sicker."

Doc looked at her for a long few moments. For a moment, Hope was sure that he was going to get mad. But, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed. And he kept laughing, long after she got scared and ran up the top of the hill. He was still laughing when he walked back inside the small building, because his laughing was suddenly cut off by a slamming door.

Hope walked up to the door of the building Doc had said belonged to Mason. Would he be in there? She raised her hand to knock on the door, when the door opened by itself, her hand still in mid-knock.

"Oh! You're awake!"

Hope blinked a few times, before realizing that Mason was standing in the doorway, a pack over his shoulder, clearly on his way out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you!"

"It's alright, really," He said, opening the door wider and motioning her to come in.

Hope tried her best not to look too disgusted, but the look on her face must have been too obvious.

"Yeah, it's a little dirty, but nothing is clean anymore since the bombs fell."

It was an understatement. She was so used to sparkling white walls with beautiful portraits and furniture, that the dirt covered walls (made from the same deteriorated metal as Doc's small hospital) and clearly old and falling apart furniture made her cringe. How could people _live_ like this?

"I've noticed," She finally said, after turning to look at him. "Even the people are dirty. Don't you ever take baths?"

Mason blinked at her, and then smiled.

"Kinda hard when there isn't clean water readily available to wash with. Why do you say that? I'm I really so dirty?"

Hope examined him closely.

His skin was dirty, though not clearly as dirty as Doc's had been. His hair was black, and his eyes were a deep brown. There was dirt lining the small wrinkles on his face, although she couldn't help but notice that he was handsome, despite. He appeared to be not much older than herself. But why did he have those little wrinkles? He looked much to young to have them!

As she examined him, he set his strong jaw and his almond-eyes glittered with amusement.

"Well?" He asked.

"Well, your skin is so dirty! I mean, everyone's is! And Doc is the worst by far! I mean, really! How much neglect does it take to make your skin appear _black_!"

Mason looked at her, similarly to how Doc had a few minutes before. He then laughed.

"His skin isn't _dirty_! Well, yes it is, but his skin _is_ black! He's African American!"

Hope started. "African American? What is that? And what do you mean his skin _is_ black? His skin is the same color as mine, silly! He just needs a bath!"

Mason blinked and then set his bag down. He then looked at her with genuine concern.

"You mean to say, that where you come from, everyone is white? No one of color lives in your 'Home'?"

"What do you mean by 'white' and 'color'? Everyone looks like me, just different hair colors, of course!"

Mason put his hand to his forehead. "Wow. Now this is something I've _never_ heard of!"

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, listen. Where you come from, everyone's skin is white, but out here, everyone has a different color of skin. Mine is a deep olive, Doc's is black, and there are skin colors of all sorts in between."

Hope was now _really_ confused. Skin that was a different color?

"See, look." Mason pulled out another one of those strange water bottles, and poured a small amount on his outstretched arm. He then scrubbed at it. She watched as the water dirtied, but his skin didn't get lighter. It stayed that strange, brown color.

"The dirt isn't coming off...?"

"It's not dirt. That is the color of my skin."

"But... I've never heard of skin that isn't like mine..."

"Because the place you come from is clearly messed up."

"So, this...this _wasteland_...it's _real_?" Even she wasn't dumb enough to think that David could have pulled something like this off. He just wasn't that creative, or smart for that matter.

Mason sighed, though it sounded like a noise of relief rather than frustration. "Yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

She suddenly felt very light headed.

"Whoa, careful, there," Mason said, reaching out and catching her just as she felt herself stumble. He turned her and set her down on the filthy, pink couch.

"But, how is this _possible_?"

Mason didn't say anything. Instead, she watched him as he went and picked up his pack.

"Listen, I know you've just woken up and all, but I really need to go check on something. Are you okay with staying here? My robot butler, Wadsworth, will be here to get you anything you need."

Hope looked up, surprised to see that she recognized the type of robot Mason had gestured to. There had been many like him back at The Home.

"Oh, I know them! There were many of those back home!"

Mason shook his head, clearly confused as well. "Nice to see they weren't _completely_ crazy."

Hope jumped up when she realized that he was walking out of the still open door. "Wait! Don't leave!"

He started. "I'll be back by tomorrow morning."

"No, let me go with you!" She said, bending down and grabbing an empty pack on the floor, ready to pack it with supplies.

"No, sorry, I can't let you come."

"You can't just leave me here! I want to see what the world is really like! Obviously, the things we were taught at home were lies, and I want to know the truth!"

That seemed to make Mason consider. He set down his pack and tapped his chin, thinking.

"Alright," He finally said. "But what I'm going to do isn't going to be easy." He stopped tapping his chin. "Actually, it might be a good idea for you to come."

"Okay, what is it you're going to do?"

He looked at her and then began to load her empty pack. "There is a Vault not too far from here that I want to explore. You can come with me, if you want..."

She didn't even hesitate. "Of course!"

* * *

**Sorry it's a little short. Hope it turned out good :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this took so long. I've actually had this chapter written for awhile, but there were things in it I wasn't sure I wanted so I've been slowly editing them out.**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

It only took a few minutes to pack up the extra bag with things I believed Hope would need. I made sure to pack a few extra Stimpaks, since I wasn't sure she was still healthy enough to go exploring the Wasteland. I then let her wear some of my armor and a hat; her skin was just too light to be exposed to the sun.

When we left, I was surprised to feel that Hope wouldn't let go of my hand. Actually, I knew that I shouldn't have been surprised, since she was scared, but I was nonetheless. When the doors to Megaton opened, she threw herself into me, as if the noise scared her.

Walking out into the Wasteland was even worse.

Knowing now that the world around her was real, it was as if every little thing terrified her. A small dust tornado caused her to scream and the sight of a dead ant caused her to fire the gun I had given her.

"Okay, Hope, listen." She turned to me, her blue eyes wide with fear. For a split second I was angry and frustrated. But then, my heart sank.

_This poor girl is confused and scared. I need to remember that she knows nothing about the Wasteland. I was just like her, once. I need to be patient._

I forced myself to calm down. "Listen, you aren't in danger while you're with me, okay, sweets?" I said, surprised at how gentle I managed to sound. "You don't need to worry unless I tell you to, alright?" I reached up and touched her cheek. "Understand?"

I saw her physically struggle with herself for a few moments, and then nodded. I watched her close her eyes, smile, and then look back at me, her eyes showing more calm than they had been before.

"Okay."

"Alright, so are you okay, now?"

"Yes." She grabbed my hand and looked down at it. "Your skin is strange. I kinda like it, though."

"Really?" My voice squeaked lightly. I had to clear my throat.

"Yes. I kinda wish my skin was like this. The sun wouldn't hurt my skin as bad if it were this color."

"Hey, I like your skin, sweets. It's not something you see everyday out here."

She looked up at me, her eyes confused.

"'Sweets'?"

I blinked. "Well, yes."

"Why?"

I hesitated. "You just...make me think of sweet things when I look at you."

Her cheeks reddened. "Oh. I see."

"You ready to go, now?"

"Yes," She mumbled, her cheeks still red. I noticed that her ears were red as well. Had I embarrassed her? When she grabbed my hand this time, it was with more care, and with a shyness not there before.

That's when I realized what was wrong with her. She was _smitten_, to say the least. Had my saving her caused her to become attached to me? Add on the fact that I had paid for her to be worked on by Doc, and that I was letting her come with me, and I had no doubts.

"How old are you?" I asked her as we walked across the barren land.

"Seventeen."

So, I had been close when guessing her age.

"How did you end up out here?"

"It was a dare."

"A dare?"

"Yes. The delivery cart came as usual, and David and some friends all made a dare to see who could be bravest and sneak out with the cart when it left." She looked up at me, her cheeks just barely pink now. "I've always been the bravest, so I took the dare. When I got outside, someone shut the door behind me, and I couldn't get anyone to open it back up. Now I'm here with you." She laughed. "I always thought I was brave, but now I see I'm no where near as brave as you..." Her cheeks reddened again.

I smiled, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry, you'll get there. You just don't know what to do out here. Once you get used to it, you'll probably be even better than me."

She smiled up at me, and then went quiet.

We reached Vault 106 just as the sun was starting to make its decent.

"Why is there a door in the rock?" Hope asked when we approached it.

"It's the entrance to the Vault. I want you to come in with me, to see if anything looks familiar."

"But, this isn't what the door to my home looked like at all."

"Well, I figured it wouldn't. I've been in here before, but I didn't get very far inside. I'm sure there's more things in there to grab."

"'Grab'?"

"Yes. Things to bring back with us that might be useful."

She was the first to open the door. "Then let's go."

* * *

She couldn't quite explain what was going on with her. The longer she was with Mason, the more she realized that he was almost exactly the kind of man she had made a report on back at home.

It had been an assignment, one that was required once you reach sixteen. All students were required to write a report on their ideal mate. She had written about someone brave, kind, handsome. Someone who wasn't afraid to fight if it meant keeping loved ones safe. The elders then used these reports to set you up with your future mate, the person you'd marry. They hadn't been able to find anyone for her, since not one person matched her description close enough. Instead, they had set her up with David, who was the farthest from her ideal person as he could get. That was why she figured he had set up this prank; to get back at her for turning down his advances.

Now that she was out here, she noticed that Mason was almost exactly what she had pictured. Except for his skin. She had pictured someone with skin like hers.

After she opened the door, Hope realized that she really didn't want to go in first. Mason must have sensed her distress, because after walking through the threshold, Mason walked ahead of her and grabbed her hand. The contact made her flush in a way she had never before experienced. Why was her skin burning? Why did she suddenly want to pull him toward her and kiss him? She had never felt that way about any other boy at home.

"Be quiet, okay?" He said, turning to look at her. He then looked concerned. "You okay?"

She cleared her throat, putting herself back into control. "Yes, sorry. Just scared."

"I'll keep you safe. Don't worry." He squeezed her hand.

She became exceedingly frightened as they walked down the long, dirt tunnel. At the end, a giant door, baring the number 106, was thrown to the side. She couldn't help but think of a giant gear when she saw it.

The world they walked into was unlike anything she had ever seen.

Hope could tell that whoever had built this place had built it to last for centuries. And they were obviously very technically advanced, for the machines and things in there were very confusing. Everything seemed to be made out of the strongest metals, even the walls.

When they started walking down a set of stairs, a woman appeared around the corner. It startled her, but then she smiled. This woman's skin was lighter, like hers. Did she maybe know her?

She never got to know, however, because Mason shot her with his 10mm, her head exploding into little pieces.

She was _dead_! Hope had never seen anyone die before, and suddenly she felt her head spin, her stomach churn. Next thing she knew, she was spraying sick all over the wall next to them.

She felt oddly better and when she turned around, Mason was holding out a bottle of water, which she used to swish out her mouth, spitting the water out as well.

"What did you do that for?" She asked him as she handed back the bottle. She was suddenly frightened of him. How could he kill someone in cold blood like that?

"She was crazy. If I hadn't shot her, she would have knocked your brains out with that crowbar."

Hope looked down to see that she was, indeed, holding a crowbar.

She shivered.

"You okay?"

"Yes, sorry. Just wasn't expecting that."

"Well, out here in the wasteland, you'll see a lot of unexpected things."

"I figured."

He guided her deeper, leading her through hallways that led to strange rooms, or leading her to dead ends, where he picked up various items and put them in his pack.

After about half an hour, Hope realized that she was starting to recognize some things.

"Do you see that?" She said, when they rounded a corner.

"See what?" He asked.

"The walls! They're so white! Just like home!"

* * *

That was when I started to get worried.

I knew that this Vault was full of a noxious gas that made inhabitants hallucinate, but I had never been affected by it so soon, yet so severely. She was already seeing things for more than a few seconds?

"Do you see anything else?"

She smiled, and then frowned. "Well, I thought I did. I _swear_ the walls were white a second ago..."

"Maybe we should leave..." I said, starting to head back the way we had come. She stopped me.

"No! I want to see more of this Vault!"

I thought better of it, but she started to walk forward and I didn't stop her.

We managed to explore a few more rooms before she showed signs of another hallucination.

"Who was that?" She said, after I picked up some left over scrap metal from a shelf.

"Who?"

"I don't know," She breathed. "It almost looked like David."

"We need to leave. It's getting late..."

"David!" She suddenly yelled.

She disappeared around the corner.

"Hope!" I screamed, dropping the metal and chasing after her. I barely saw her disappear around another corner when I got out of the room. "Hope! Stop!"

She screamed.

"HOPE!"

I ran around the corner to find her laying on the ground, her arms thrown over her head, as another crazy vault-dweller raised a metal pipe over his head.

BANG! BANG! BANGBANGBANG!

The guy fell to the floor, dead.

"Hope!" I dropped to the floor, suddenly terrified. Was she dead? _Don't let her be dead!_

She was sobbing. I breathed a sigh of relief. _She's okay_.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked, pulling one of her arms down to see.

There wasn't a mark on her, yet she was still sobbing.

"H-he was yelling at me!" She cried.

"Who was?"

"David! He was t-telling me that I was a s-stupid whore!"

"Why would he say that?"

She didn't answer, and instead sobbed more.

I gently picked her up and carried her back toward the entrance. She cried the entire way.

When I opened the door back to the wasteland, it was dark. Instead of heading back toward Megaton, I started down the hill, looking to see if there was anyplace I could make a camp.

"I was supposed to marry him," She suddenly said. Her voice startled me, and I almost dropped her.

"W-what?"

"The elders had arranged for us to marry, and I told him no."

"You and David?"

I felt her nod. I looked down at her then. She was covered in sweat, obviously still affected by the gas. I slowed, and then knelt down to rest.

"Why did you say no?" I asked, brushing hair from her face.

She smiled and looked up at me, her eyes slightly glassed over. "Because I don't want to marry someone like him. They couldn't find someone for me, so they set me up with him because he asked."

"He can't be _that_ bad..." I said, slightly laughing.

"He's not like you, though." I started. "That's why he would call me a whore. I'm supposed to marry him, but I wish you were him."

She was still obviously dazed. I, however, did something stupid, and leaned down and kissed her forehead.

She smiled and caressed my cheek. She then moved my face so that I would have kissed her lips instead. I pulled away before that happened.

"Please..." She whispered, grabbing my hair and pulling be back.

She was too weak to fight with. I couldn't bring myself to tell her no.

She tasted sweeter than I could imagine. Suddenly, calling her sweets made sense; it was the only way to describe her.

It started out tender and sweet. She had clearly never kissed anyone before, yet she was the best kisser I had ever kissed. But then, it was as if she changed. She suddenly was eager, trying to pull me on her. I knew that she was probably sick, and now vulnerable because of what her hallucination had made her believe. But I didn't have the strength to tell her no as she sat up and wrapped her legs around my waist. And suddenly, I _didn't_ want her to stop.

A building to our right caught my eye. It was mostly destroyed, but suddenly I didn't care. Still kissing, I stumbled through the doorway, tripping over a wire and falling on the ground, just as a cow leg swung over our heads.

Neither of us noticed.

I managed to land on a softer pile of dirt, twisting as I fell so that Hope wasn't hurt. We hadn't stopped kissing during the fall.

Hope sat up, so that she was sitting on me, and her fingers shook as she tried to pull off the heavy armor I had given her.

I felt my brain start to work, then, and stopped her.

"Stop... Hope... STOP!"

She stopped, her eyes suddenly wide.

"I can't do this," I said. "You're sick and vulnerable. What kind of guy would I be to take advantage of you now? I'd be no better than those raiders..."

Hope tried to push me back down, but I refused. I shifted, setting her on the ground next to me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

Hope sighed from next to me. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that..."

I knew. "It's the gas," I said. "It makes you do some strange things..."

Hope sighed. "I guess." She looked up at me. "Have you ever been effected by it before?"

I nodded. "Last time I came down, I kept seeing my father and my friend, Amata. Once I started seeing them, I read a document on one of the computers that said that there was a noxious gas in the Vault that made the inhabitants slowly go crazy. After I read that, I left." I looked back down at her wide, blue eyes. "I shouldn't have taken you down there. I'm sorry."

Hope smiled. "It's no problem."

There was a creak from above us and I instantly froze. My head snapped up to see that there were four or five people above us, watching and waiting, guns pointed directly at our faces.

Raiders.

* * *

**Hope this was good :)**


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